Deacons: Servants and Slaves, pt. 3

A Slave

Jesus takes servant-hood and greatness to the next level in Matthew 20:27-28, “and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His 1life a ransom for many.”

The position of a slave was much lower on the social ladder than even a servant. A servant to some degree was his own person and was free to go where he whished whenever he wished, but this was not so with a slave. A slave (doulos) did not belong to himself but to his master and could go only where the master wanted him to go and do only what the master wanted him to do. He did not belong to himself but was the personal property of someone else.

In several of his letters, Paul identifies himself as Christ’s slave or the (doulos) of Christ even before identifying himself as an apostle. He opens his letter to the church at Rome by using these words, “Paul, a bond-servant (actually that is a bad translation, the word should be slave) of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle” (Rom 1:1). That is why he could say, “If we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom 14:8). Slaves were mere property and could be bought and sold at their Master’s whim. Like slaves, Christians “have been bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:20) and are the property of the Lord who bought them with His own precious blood (1 Pet 1:18-19).

True greatness in the kingdom of Christ is humble, selfless, sacrificial service. Deacons are slaves of Christ, they are the property of your Lord and if a deacon desires to be “great” and “first” in the kingdom when you will be willing to serve in the hard places, the uncomfortable places, the difficult places, the lonely places, the demanding places, the places where you might not be appreciated, the places where you will be talked about and ridiculed and cast down.

A Deacon is one who is willing to spend and be spent in the devoted service of His Lord. A Deacon is one who strives with all his might to extend and advance the cause of Christ. A Deacon will strenuously labor for another’s salvation. Deacons are employed by God in executing His purposes. A Deacon will be devoted to another to the disregard of men’s own interests. A Deacon is one who faithfully does everything he can for the Lord and to the limit of his ability and energy and says, “We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done” (Luke 17:10). A Deacon is one who gives Himself up wholly to another’s will and dominion – namely Christ Jesus his Lord and Master. It is to such a one that the Lord will say in return, “Well done, good and faithful slave;…enter into the joy of your Master” (Matt 25:21).

Filed under: Deacon, Ministry, Service, The Church

Deacons: Servants and Slaves, pt. 2

There are several connotations to this word “servant” that help us understand just what a deacon really is. Perhaps you have wandered what is a deacon.

A Deacon is:

1. One who promotes the welfare and prosperity of the church.
He is not interested in his own personal gain or own personal aggrandizement, but he is solely a deacon to promote the good welfare and prosperity of the church to which he has been called to serve. They desire the best for this church, the good of this church; they love this church so much that they are willing to become servants of this church, for the promotion of this church for the cause of Christ in this community, this state and around the world.

2. A Deacon is one through whom God carries on His administration on earth.
Through these two men and the other deacons of this church, God is carrying on His work of service among His people on earth. You see, what Jesus was striving to convey to His apostles was the fact that He was the true servant. He was the example they should be following in their service. A Deacon should be a portrait of the service of Jesus as they labor among God’s people. They are to serve God’s people because God has called them to carry on His service and administration on earth. A Deacon is a channel through which God directs His service as demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

3. Followers of Christ.
This should go without saying, but is necessary non-the-less. A Deacon is a follower of Christ. He is a Christian first and foremost. He does not allow others to set the agenda for his service among those in the church – because Christ has already set the agenda. A Deacon should know and be saturated with the Scripture to the point that it flows out of him in service. And it is through His knowing the Scripture, praying the Scripture, and clinging to the Scripture, that He is not only a follower of Christ, but becomes like Christ in his service to the people.

4. They are devoted to the cause of the Lord.
The primary concern of a Deacon is the glory of God through service. The primary concern of a Deacon is the exaltation of Christ through service. The primary concern of a Deacon is the advancement of the kingdom of Christ through service. A Deacon is devoted to the cause of the Lord as outlined in His word. If you are a deacon and are not devoted to the cause of the Lord you have no business being a Deacon. A Deacon is not concerned with self-love, self-promotion, authority, and power, a Deacon is one who is humbly and completely sold out to and devoted to the cause of His Lord.

5. Is assigned by the church to carry out a particular task.
Let me say a word to the church, a Deacon is more than one who serves the Lord’s Supper. The duties of a Deacon extend that of washing the communion cups or gathering the offering or dismissing in prayer after the service. Nor is a Deacon a door-mat that you can use like a dirty dish-rag whenever you have an itch that needs scratching. But the church assigns a Deacon to a specific and particular task to carry out. They are to care for the people, other Christians and especially for other members of the congregation, for three reasons, first, for the physical well being of those concerned, second, for their spiritual well-being, and third: as a witness to those outside (Jn.13:13). They are to head off disunity in the church (Acts 6:1-4). Deacons are to build up one another and encourage one another (Rom. 1:11-12) for the common good, edifying and uniting the church in the ministry of Deacons (1 Cor. 14:26). Another task is in supporting the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:3). Deacons will serve the church as a whole by helping with responsibilities that the main teachers cannot perform. They should fundamentally encourage and support the ministry of the pastor. They are to assist in administering the Lord’s Supper (Jn. 12:2; Lk. 10:40, 17:8; Acts 6:1-2).

Filed under: Deacon, Ministry, Service, The Church

Deacons: Servants and Slaves, pt. 1

In Matthew 20:26-28, Jesus turns the worlds greatness upside down, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His 1life a ransom for many.”

Greatness in the kingdom is the complete polar opposite of the self-serving, self-promoting, self-glorying ways of the world. The ways and ideas of the greatness that are in the world have not place in the Kingdom of God and “are not so among you” (Mt 20:26). He was telling His disciples the same thing he told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). The world’s greatness is not the same as greatness in God’s kingdom. A great commentator has observed, God’s “great men are not sitting on top of lesser men, but bearing lesser men on their backs.” There are still, however, many people in the church who continually seek recognition, prestige, and power by manipulating and controlling others to their own selfish advantage. But that “is not” to be “so among” Christ’s true disciples.

A Servant

Jesus says, “whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,” In complete contrast to the greatness that James and John desired earlier in chapter 20, Jesus was saying the only greatness that is accepted in His Father’s kingdom is obtained by becoming a “servant.” In God’s eyes, the one who is great is the one who is a willing servant. The way to divine and eternal glory, the glory of Jesus Christ, the glory that Paul spoke to the church in Thessalonica about when he said, “it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess 2:14), the way to that divine glory is to renounce the temporal and fleeting glory of the world that comes from men; and to embrace the way of God’s glory, that of being a servant.

The word here for “servant” is the word from which we derive the word DEACON. This original Greek word was purely secular, and referred to a person who did labor, such as house cleaning or serving tables. It was not necessarily a term of dishonor but simply described the lowest level of hired help, who needed little training or skill. But here Christ elevates this word used for deacon, to a place of great significance, using it to describe His most faithful and favored disciples. The surest mark of a true servant is the willing sacrifice for the sake of others in the name of Christ. The surest mark of a true deacon is the willing sacrifice for the sake of others in the name of Christ. This is what a deacon is and this is what a deacon does.

Filed under: Deacon, Ministry, Service, The Church

More Advice for a Pulpit-Search Committee

Not only are there doctrinal questions to be asked in the pastoral search, but there are many practical implications that must be examined as well. Someone who can answer the doctrinal questions very satisfactorily may not make a good pastor. On the other hand, if the individual cannot answer the doctrinal questions he would still not make a good pastor.

Let me be clear, the primary role of a pastor is to preach. Above and beyond anything else he may do in the church, his singular role and most important is to exposit, teach and preach the Word of God. He is doing a great disservice to his people if he fails in this area.

Many churches are blessed with numerous elders and deacons. If this is the case, they should be doing the “work” of the ministry, freeing the senior pastor to study, pray and preach. I realize this is only in an ideal situation and something perhaps to work toward in the future if not already in place. However, in the many churches I know of without a pastor the luxury of elders and numerous deacons is simply not there. Therefore, it falls upon the pastor to do the practical side of ministry (time-management in this regard is a separate matter). I want to present some questions and probing insights that would be helpful in the interview process with a prospective pastor.

- Explain your view of ministry. Perhaps give a personal philosophy of ministry.

- What do you see as practical ministries in the church?

- What role do you see the pastor playing the practical ministry of the church?

- What are your views of weekly visitation to the shut-ins and nursing homes?

- Do you feel the church should have a ministry in the nursing homes?

- What type of resources and ministry should the church provide those who are members but are elderly and shut-in?

- What is your view of evangelistic visitation? Do you feel this is important and something everyone in the church should be involved in?

- How often, weekly, would you be involved in evangelistic visitation?

- If not in place already, how will you implement awareness and ministry opportunities for home and international missions?

- What do you think about prospective-member visitation?

- Do you think hospital visitation is necessary and important?

- To what degree will you try to minister to those in the hospital and those sick?

- What type of ministry should be in place to minister to those who have bereavement issues?

- How do you feel about prison (perhaps you can insert another ministry that better describes your church) outreach and ministry?

- What type of ministry outreach should be given to the poor in the community?

- What would be your strategy in implementing new ministries in the church? Specifically, how would you implement a nursing home (insert a ministry your church is not currently involved in) ministry if the church did not have one?

- Will you be a visible presence in the life and ministry of the church?

- How well will you delegate ministry jobs and positions in the church?

- To what degree do you feel you would be involved with the youth and children’s ministry of the church?

- Do you intend to equip the deacons to serve the members of the church in various ministry capacities?

- How well do you work with others? How well do you work with others in leadership positions?

- Do you find it easy to get along with those who agree or disagree with you?

- Will you be accessible for counseling members in bereavement situations, marital situations, and whatever else comes up in the yearly life of the church?

- How well do you handle stress?

- What do you believe the Bible means when it says, “equip the saints for the work of the ministry”?

- What administrative skills do you have?

- Do you have past or current problems with drugs, alcohol, or pornography?

(Perhaps you will want to give the man a few case studies and see how he answers and what strategies he will implement to meet the need.)

Again, this list of insights and questions is by no means meant to be exhaustive. There are many parts to these questions and much follow-up and follow-through that will no doubt take place. This is meant only to be a guideline and help in the interview process. If you can think of other important questions that should be added to this list please feel free to drop me a line in the comment box. I appreciate Rick Mansfield already setting me upon the right track by leaving a comment and suggestions in my first post. I truly pray this aids you in your search.

Filed under: Deacon, Doctrine, Elder, Evangelism, Ministry, Pastors, Preaching, The Church

Duties, Service and Qualifications of a Deacon

The New Testament gives clear indication of both Elders and Deacons in the local church (1 Tim. 3:1-13). Most churches, in our day, have abandoned the idea of Eldership. Deacons have moved into the leadership role of the Elder, thus leaving the church with many in authority and few in service. In the early church, Deacons are those who rendered service in the church. In other words, a Deacon is a servant. They are referred to in the plural (Phil. 1:1). The government of the church rests upon the Elders (1 Tim. 4:14; Heb. 13:17), while the Deacons give needed assistance in the various ministries of the local body of believers.

Duties and Service 

According to Scripture a Deacon has many duties and roles for service within the church (Matt. 20:16-28). I have outlined below some duties of a Deacon:

A. Caring for the people, other Christians and especially for other members of the congregation, for three reasons, first, for the physical well being of those concerned, second, for their spiritual well-being, and third: as a witness to those outside (Jn.13:13).

B. To head off disunity in the church (Acts 6:1-4). To build up one another and encourage one another (Rom. 1:11-12) for the common good, edifying and uniting the church in the ministry of Deacons (1 Cor. 14:26).

C. To support the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:3). Deacons will serve the church as a whole by helping with responsibilities that the main teachers cannot perform. They should fundamentally encourage and support the ministry of the Elders.

D. Assist the Elders in administering the Lord’s Supper (Jn. 12:2; Lk. 10:40, 17:8; Acts 6:1-2).

Qualifications 

Along with Elders, Deacons have specific qualifications that are clearly outlined in Scripture. Each member of the Council of Deacons should be an active member of the church and possess the qualifications described in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. The qualifications for deacons can be divided into two different categories: personal character and spiritual character.

Personal Character:

(a) Men of dignity, reverent, they must be worthy of respect, serious minded, not treating serious things lightly (1 Timothy 3:8; Titus 2:2).

(b) Not double-tongued; not a malicious gossip (1 Timothy 3:8).

(c) Not addicted to much wine; they are noted for their sobriety (1 Timothy 3:8).

(d) Not fond of gain and greedy for money (1 Timothy 3:8; 6:9).

Spiritual Character:

(a) Must hold “to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience,” must have convictions based on the knowledge of true biblical doctrine (1 Timothy 3:9).

(b) Must be men already tested and proved to be faithful (1 Timothy 3:10).

(c) Morally pure in every way (1 Timothy 3:10, 12).

(d) Leads his family well and the husband of one wife (1 Timothy 3:12).

A Deacons Wife:

(a) Reverent, serious in mind and character; not silly or flippant about important matters (1 Timothy 3:11).

(b) Not slanderers, must not be malicious gossips (1 Timothy 3:11).

(c) Temperate, alert, vigilant, clear-headed, sober (1 Timothy 3:11).

(d) Faithful in all things, absolutely trustworthy in all aspects of their lives and ministries (1 Timothy 3:11).

Remember a Deacon is a servant in the church. Let us keep these things in mind as we look at men in our own congregations who are currently Deacons and those young men we need to set aside for such a task.

Filed under: Deacon, Elder, The Church